Philosophical Approaches to Atonement, Incarnation, and the Trinity

Philosophical Approaches to Atonement, Incarnation, and the Trinity explores the philosophical issues arising from the distinctively Christian doctrines of the atonement, incarnation, and Trinity. To many philosophers and theologians sympathetic to various aspects of Christian thought, the distinctive Christian doctrines raise considerable philosophical quandaries. C. Stephen Layman dissects the biblical verses and submits them to deep philosophical scrutiny. Do these doctrines make sense? Are they illogical? This book discusses historically influential theories of the atonement, such as the Ransom and Anselm's Satisfaction theory, as well as some recent contributions to these theories by the likes of Richard Swinburne. Layman examines attempts to make sense of the doctrine of the incarnation: reduplication ('Jesus Christ qua divine was omnipotent but qua human he was not omnipotent'), the Divided-Mind (or 'Two-Minds') theory, and the Kenotic theory. Problems for all of these approaches are considered, with the Kenotic theory, suitably developed, found to stand up best under scrutiny. This philosophical investigation illuminates how religious questions can be addressed with philosophical seriousness.

C. Stephen Layman earned his PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles. He is the author of The Shape of the Good (1991), The Power of Logic (1999), and Letters to Doubting Thomas: A Case for the Existence of God (2007).